HOME
Here are some links to Tips, Tricks and Upgrades for the 450 Helis:
General EXI/Exceed 450 :
1) Chinese Weight Mod for better Tail response
2) Use 2mm screws and nuts to fasten your servos. Stock plastic nuts with the kits will come loose over time.
3) Download the Align 450 SEV2 manual for reference (espcially helpful in head re-assembly)
4) Set your head up for symetry and level your swashplate
5) Make your skids and boom more visible: Apply bright yellow or orange vinyl film to the boom and/or skids. Vinyl film is available at some office supply stores or auto parts stores (pin striping).
6) If you are a beginner or novice, Use inexpensive Fiberglass 325 or 335mm blades
7) If you have trouble w/ your tail twisting on you then rough up the boom and the inside of the tailbox.
You can do this on either the plastic or metal versions. Use an
Xacto blade to cut in 4-5 groves on each side of the tailbox and boom.
cuts are made Parallel (Left/right) to the boom as showin the
pictures. You can also put scotch tape on the boom and try to slide the boom in w/o crinkling up the tape. Here is a mod on a plastic tail boom (the Blueray PE helicopters already have a screw on the fin side in the middle for this.
8)
If you are having trouble with the belt tention
staying tight, Use an Xacto blade to cut 4-5 groves on each side of the
front of the boom and inside the boom block. Make the cuts on the sides
only and where the boom block meets the boom. Cut the boom as well as
the boom block Perpendicular (UP/DOWN) to the boom.
Another method is a
strip of scotch tape wrapped from 7 oclock around the top to 4 oclock
(not all the way around boom). Before inserting, you much loosen the
boom block up enough to fit the boom with tape into it w/o wrinkling
the tape. Pull boom then tighten.
9) Have one of those Inexpensive G401B gyros? Try this MOD
10) Keep your skids from rotating by using a screw on the skid supports
EXI 450 specific :
1) Switch to Carbon Fiber Frame from (if yours is metal and bending in a crash)
2) Link to Nuttcaze's tutorial on the EXI Squadron 450 build.
Xheli RTF kit specific :
1) My suggested upgrade path
2) Use the EXI 450 spare parts list to save $$ over Align parts
3)
If you are crashing alot, once you crash the first time then upgrade to
metal gear'd servos. (NOTE, Xheli Bluerays are now comming with MOSTLY
metal gear'd servos. And the one lower gear is plastic. Replacement gearsets for the original Blueray servos are available at hobbypartz.com. Replacing the gearsets is not that hard.
Read and join forums specifically about the EXIs and Bluerays
RC Groups Exceed Blueray, Genesis, Legend Thread
RC Groups EXI 450 Thread
Runryder Forum with SOME posts on the EXI's
RC Discuss (forum sponsored by Xheli)